The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-21
ENCOUNTER WITH sAvAGEs.
Exciting Struggle on Board Ship
Story of the Survivors.
From the GIasgor Nal.

Admiral Tyron with regard to the massacre
of the crew of the labor schooner Young
Dick at Malayta, in the Pacific. The eyl-
dence of the survivors was taken at Mary
borough, and it appears that the crew were
attacked by about twenty-five natives, VINO
got aboard whilst the Captain and some OF
his men were away in the boats. There
was nothing against the reputation OF the
Captain, and the attack was made for the
purpose OF plumber. Thomas Crittendon.
an able seaman, gave a graphic account or
the attack and repulse He said: Il saw
three or four natives scuffiing with the sail
maker. l didn't know his name. L had
nothing on but a singlet ran
back to my bunk and got my re-
volver and went on deck again,
and one of the natives from shore jumped IN
front of me and tried 70 take hold OF me;
shot him and he fell | went farther abaft
on deck towards the government agents
cabin; then saw about a couple q dozen
natives coming towards me from al sides.
/ could hear blows and scutfimg aloft, and
duh sounds as if the natives were toma-
hawking the white men. The natives tried
to lay hold Of me, and / ired four more
shots. saw one man fall ard the others
drew back as if they were killed or wound
ed. had one shot left in my revolver
then went down the forcastle, put on my
trousers, filed my pockets with cartridges,
took my Snider and went on deck
again. | went to the foremost as far
as the foreyard l could then see the ma
tives running about with tcmahawks. |
| fired at all could see. may have fired
couple of dozen shots. fired all had but
two. The firing continued for about ten or
twelve minutes. The natives got under the
awnings, and / could not see them. l then
went down on deck. During the time was
| aloft heard occasional shots under the
awnings from the after part Of the ship.
Before l came down on deck saw two
canoes, which would hold about twenty
| each, and several catamarans. When |
went on deck from aloft some of the re-
cruits went and got bows and arrows from
the galley, and one of the boats crew who
was sick had Snider. l armed the recruits
as well as l could, and placed some on one
side of the ship and some on the other to
| keep the natives off. After had fired four
| or five shots some Of the natives
| jumped overheard into the water. After
| | placed the recruits on each side of the
| ship / went over the top of the house abaft,
and saw three or four natives rushing
| round the house. | shot one from the top of
tho house. He was by the wheel and trying
! to get away from me. The Others got away
| out of sight. The mate Charles Mari, then
| sang out: SIS that you, Tom" | replied:
| YES; come out, think the deck is cleared"
| He then came out on deck, and jumped on
the deck from the top Of the house | said
| TO him: Look out, there are some aboard
| YETI We then searched the ship. We found
one native in the government agents room,
| hiding behind a coat. | shot him while he
| remained behind the coat. The
shot went through the coat
| and shot him dead. | then saw the
| government agent lying on his back across
the floor of his room. He was dead. We
saw the bodies of the carpenter and cook in
| a place on deck which we call the dining
room. The sailnaker was lying in the Cap
| tain's room. He lived half an hour after
| wards. The government agent, Mr.. Pop
| ham, had his face smashed in. That was the
| only wound | noticed on him. There were
| five natives and one recruit lying dead on
| the deck. Charles H. Mari, first mate of
the Young Dick, described his terrible strug-
gle with the savages in the cabin. He said
"The chief gave yell and caught hold of
me by the wrist of the left arm and higher
up the arm, and another caught hold of my
other arm and tried to pull me out
| of the dining-room The chief caught
hold of the first finger of my left hand and
| bit it. 1t still bears the mark of the bite.
| freed myself of my one hand, and hit the
chief in the face with my fist. / drew back
into the doorway Of my room, two natives
| still holding on to my one arm; with the
| my revolver. | then fired at the chief and
the other natives that got hold of my arm
| They both dropped down. | believe they
were dead. | was in the act of firing third
shot, the only one left in the revolver, when
a native, who was in the dining-rom,
snatched the revolver from me; / then
| stepped back into my own room and shut the
| door half to, picked up a Snider and took
two or three cartridges which were lying ON
my writing desk, loaded the Snider,
and looking through the half-open door
saw a native with tomahawk coming from
the dining room into the passage. fred at
him and he left the passage ran on deck,
and fell into the water. The tomahawk the
native had was the first one l had SEEN
was loading my Snider again when the
| room darkened; then had my face toward
the door, and looking round saw native
with tomahawli at the side window of my
cabin There are two windows in my cabin,
one of which is on the side. The native was
trying tomahawk me; | turned round
with my Snider to tire at him, but he was
too quick for me and got away / had only
one shot left, the cartridges being in the
| boatswainS room, which was then used as
the trade room. stepped across to that room
as quick as | could, and closed the door,
leaving sufficient space to fire through. ]
saw a native coming along the rail on the
| port side with a tomahawk in his hand; |
fired at him and he dropped over the side.
In trying to load the Snider again found
it broken, and could not get the cartridge
home; | was trying to fix it with knife,
when / heard some one on the top of the
house over my head, and | heard white
man sing out, Come out, come out, they
are retreating' l then went outside of
the room and saw Thomas Crittendon.
afterward went into the dining-room for
my opera glasses, and on passing aicng
the deck | saw the dead body Of the gov
eminent agent on the floor of his cabin.
There are two half doors TO the government
agents room, both of which were open.
There are curtains over the door, which
We're dYYyll beck: | saw a. Fative with a
tomahaeSk crouching down ihhind the cur
tain on the end of the rope. caught him by
the wrist and tried TO pull him out. He was
greasy. He resisted, and drew back to the
corner again. then caught him by the
hair, but was unable to drag him out. ]
sang out TO Crittendon, There is another
one left with tomahawk in his hand: fetch
your Snidcr.' Crittendon then brought his
Snider, and I stepped back while he fired.